"The well-being of our people is the Party and the government's greatest political achievement. Our cadres should put the people's living conditions at the heart of their activities and help them to live better lives," he said in his New Year's speech.

Xi said he was aware of people's major concerns, such as education, employment, incomes, social security, medical care, security in old age, housing and the environment.

In his 2017 New Year address, he said, "The people in trouble are the ones I care about the most."

His words were greeted with widespread public approval.

Actions speak louder than words. On many occasions in the past year, Xi visited poor rural families, urged officials to serve the people, and warned against undesirable work styles, including bureaucracy and formalism, which may harm people's interests.